


(un)masked feelings

by electraDandelion



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Fluff, Getting Together, Hinata taking the pandemic seriously makes Sakusa horny, M/M, Mutual Pining, POV Alternating, Post-Time Skip, Set During Covid-19, Tokyo 2021 preparation, pandemic mention
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-16
Updated: 2021-03-16
Packaged: 2021-03-16 10:35:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 12,202
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29205975
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/electraDandelion/pseuds/electraDandelion
Summary: Hinata is stuck in Sao Paolo when Covid-19 strikes. So, in the limbo between quarantining and being able to return home to Japan, Shōyō picks up a new hobby: sewing. Specifically, making masks.He couldn’t help it if every time he made one, he thought of Sakusa Kiyoomi.+++The fic that follows Hinata and Sakusa as they grow closer over the pandemic due to masks, dogs and Zoom yoga. And maybe, where they both fall a little bit in love with each other.
Relationships: Hinata Shouyou/Sakusa Kiyoomi
Comments: 13
Kudos: 161





	(un)masked feelings

When Covid-19 hit, Hinata had still been living in Brazil. Asas Sao Paolo, had been the favorites for the Superliga title that year. Shōyō had _desperately_ wanted to stay and win the championship before heading back to Japan to prepare for the Tokyo Olympics.

But when March came around, instead of winning his first international title, Hinata found himself in quarantine. 

Even as a reformed jumping bean of energy who meditated and did yoga, Hinata was still an extrovert who thrived on activity and human interaction. So he knew that quarantine would take a pretty big toll on him. 

That’s why when he heard the news, and that he would have to self-isolate for 14 days before he was allowed to return home back to Japan, he knew he needed to find _something_ to do.

So, he asked Nice if he could borrow her sewing machine. 

Hinata tried other hobbies too, as well as countless video game recommendations from Kenma, but the thing that gave him the most peace of mind (and was a surprisingly good way at working off his pent up nervous energy) was sewing masks. 

He had learned how to sew from his mother when he was in middle school, because his club didn’t have money to buy uniforms. It had admittedly taken a few tries to get it right, and even longer to figure out a pattern that was comfortable, safe and not ugly _—_ but he finally did it. 

One of his last trips outside before going into full quarantine was to a fabric store, and boy, did Hinata buy a _lot_. 

Soon one mask for _himself_ turned into making matching masks for all of his former teammates and for his family… turned into making masks for _all_ of his friends whenever he thought they might like a pattern. And Shōyō had a _lot_ of friends.

But, there was one friend who he made a mask for in every single fabric he owned: Sakusa Kiyoomi. 

It was actually thinking of Sakusa that helped Hinata calm his nerves about traveling during a pandemic. There was one misconception most people had about Kiyoomi, and that was that he was agoraphobic or something. No, Sakusa didn’t live “afraid” of anything. 

It wasn’t that he was “afraid” of germs either _—_ Sakusa just literally could not get sick. 

He had gotten really sick when he was younger, and it left his immune system compromised. Even something as simple as a cold could send him to the hospital. Being healthy and cautious had become a part of who Kiyoomi was both out of necessity and precaution. His habits gave him the confidence to go throughout life. As long as he didn’t get sick or hurt himself, Sakusa could keep doing the things he loved. 

Crowds, however, were another story.

But thanks to Kiyoomi, Hinata knew first hand that if he protected and took care of himself _—_ and trusted those that got close to him _— h_ e would be as safe as he could be. Hinata had already seen the first hand proof that masks worked from playing alongside and traveling with Kiyoomi over the years. 

Even though some of the other guys in the V.League snickered whenever Sakusa asked if everyone got their flu shot at the first match of every season, Hinata knew better. As long as Sakusa knew he wasn’t going to get sick from sharing a ball _—_ maskless _—_ on a hot and sweaty court with 14 other guys, then he didn’t play ‘scared’. 

That’s how he could play volleyball, even with his chronic health issues. 

So, one of the things that got Hinata through the anxiety of the unknown buzzing under his skin, was the example Sakusa had set for him. 

If he washed his hands, didn’t touch surfaces he hadn’t cleaned, kept as much distance as he could away from others, and always wore a mask, then he would be as safe as he could possibly be. 

By the time he had gone through his mandatory 14 day quarantine, Hinata had packed his belongings into a storage unit; painted 5 canvases (only one was worth keeping); baked 8 loaves of bread (only one was inedible, but only two were _good_ ); was halfway on his way to fighting Ganon in Breath of the Wild… and made nearly 100 masks. 

Luckily, even with the extra fabric needed to make a pocket for a filter, they were still rather compact and didn’t take up _too much_ space in his luggage, so he didn’t have to make too many last minute packing rearrangements. 

+++

The entire plane ride, and _especially_ the time spent in the airport had been tense. Even though this was the 6th 24 hour flight he had been on, this trip back to Japan somehow felt even longer. 

Seeing Natsu and his mother hadn’t come soon enough, because now at least in these uncertain times, he could be with them instead of halfway across the world. And, in a country which spoke his native language, and with a health care system he had experience with and trusted. 

The first person he had called over videochat had surprised even him. Sakusa. 

Up until the moment he had seen the dialing screen and Kiyoomi’s profile image, it had only seemed natural.Hinata had a package he wanted to send his way, so he needed his address, and he wanted to see how his friend was doing. 

So why couldn’t he have just asked that in a text?

Just as the self-awareness and regret began to hit, his screen suddenly lit up with a full screen video feed focused on the beautiful, pale, curved expanse of Sakusa Kiyoomi’s face. 

He didn’t know if the casually dressed man with naturally messy semi-styled curls was actually surprised to see him, or if Hinata was just reading too much into his emotion after not seeing him (especially not _maskless_ ) in so long. 

Hinata _also_ didn’t know why he had expected Sakusa to be wearing a mask when he answered the call. Of _course_ he wouldn’t be if he was safe inside his own home — and there was no way that Kiyoomi would be going out for anything but the essentials. But Shōyō definitely hadn’t been prepared for the sudden reminder of how good looking his friend was. 

“Shōyō-kun?” 

His soft spoken baritone made Hinata realize he had been staring. He couldn’t help the way his cheeks started to heat. 

“A-Ah, Kiyoomi-san, I uh, brought you back something, so I was wondering if I could have your address so I could send it to you...?” 

For a few moments, the slow fluttering of dark eyelashes over dark eyes was Sakusa’s only response. Until his eyebrows furrowed slightly. 

It wasn’t his signature affronted furrow that changed his whole face into an angry pout. No, this furrow combined with the open, concerned downturn of his eyebrows was subtle. Cute, even. 

“Wait, you’re... back?” 

“I got in early this morning. Sorry for calling unannounced, I hit the call button before I realized I probably could have just texted you for your address.” Hinata ran his hand through the back of his hair nervously. “I just went to put on a new mask when I went out into the kitchen and I remembered I needed to send you your package...” 

“Package...? You know I don’t like souvenirs...” 

“Oh no, I know Kiyoomi-san! But I did a lot of sewing during my first quarantine!” Hinata couldn’t help but smile, because he was proud! 

Sakusa’s eyes widened slightly as his eyebrows tightened slightly. Again, not in apprehension, but instead anticipation. Maybe even restrained excitement. 

“So you… made me something...?” 

“Yeah!” Hinata quickly turned to lean as far off of his desk chair as he could to reach into his bag. He grabbed his own version of the mask that he had been so proud of — the one that had spurred on most of his project. 

It was a sleek black mask that fit snugly around his nose, cheeks and jaw. Even with the added bulk of the filter inside, it was still comfortable and didn’t move when he talked. His favorite detail however, were the Black Jackal gold claw-marks he had sewn diagonally across. 

When his video feed refocused enough for Sakusa to see what he was wearing, a look of genuine, impressed surprise flew across his face. 

“That’s really cool Shōyō-kun. So, you made them for the team? Even though you’re not a Jackal anymore?” 

“Oh shush, Omi-san, once a Jackal, always a Jackal. And of course I did! Everyone else’s has their number on it too! I’d show you yours, but it’s already wrapped in plastic, and I don’t want to open it and accidentally get anything I might have caught in the airports on them.” Hinata’s excitement melted into weariness at the prospect of the _next_ 14 days of quarantine.

“That’s very considerate, Shōyō-kun. And really, that’s… really cool that you made all those. I guess it really shouldn’t be a surprise that your quarantine has been the most productive I’ve seen.” 

“Oh, it was a lot of fun honestly, and using the sewing machine was actually a pretty good way of burning off my energy! I went through so much fabric though, but, now I have different patterns for every day!” Hinata laughed. 

“You made more than just these?” 

“Well, yeah! Even if these are reusable, I didn’t think you would want to keep rewashing them all the time, since you always use disposable surgical masks...” 

“You made more masks... for _me_?” 

“Of course! We don’t know how long this pandemic will last, and even if it’s over tomorrow I know you would use them! I didn’t know which patterns you would like, so every time I made a mask, I just made you one too!” Hinata said as if it was the easiest thing in the world.

That sent a spark of unexpected happiness, _tenderness,_ and **longing** through his stomach. Sakusa was rendered so speechless and nearly giddy at the same time, that you would have thought that Hinata had proposed to him. 

“Shōyō... you... Thank you. Really. That’s really sweet of you. It means a lot that you would think of me.” 

Hinata couldn’t help the warm smile that burst forward from his heart. Knowing that Sakusa liked his gift and wasn’t annoyed felt like a load lifted off his shoulders. He could breathe easy again now, the way he always felt around the outside hitter.

“Of course, Kiyoomi-san! I missed you. Plus, when I was making them for you, it made me feel like home wasn’t that far away!” 

The video feed or his Wi-Fi must have cut out for a moment, because Sakusa’s screen was frozen for about a minute. Something must have been up with his camera as well, because the lighting made there appear to be a red flush covering most of Sakusa’s face, as his rather dainty mouth hung agape.

“Kiyoomi-san?”

“Sorry, I… I think I know the feeling.” Sakusa replies, letting a soft and easy smile make its way into his face. “I missed you too. 

That smile made Shōyō’s stomach flutter, and he couldn’t help but think of how beautiful Sakusa was. 

“So... how was your flight, Shōyō?” 

++++++++++

Over the course of quarantine, video calls between Sakusa and Hinata had become a surprisingly regular occurrence. 

Up until then, the only people Shōyō had regularly talked to over video chat were Kenma and his mom while he was still in Brazil. Even though he had considered Sakusa a friend for a long time, they had never really been the kind to hang out together. 

As an introvert, Sakusa had never felt the need to constantly be with people in order to prove his friendship or loyalty. But these sort of Zoom hangouts… he could do. And honestly, hanging out with and getting closer to Shōyō had proved to be by far the best part of his quarantine life.

Sakusa had always liked Shōyō. He was actually fairly certain that it was impossible not to like the personification of the sun, but he was still one of the only people he had never _disliked._ Or at least, been uncomfortable around. There was something about being around Hinata that instantly made you more relaxed but also more aware. It was an odd feeling the first few days of practice together at MSBY, and even more so during that first game versus the Adlers, but it was certainly not unwelcome. Hinata had a magnetism that made you want to watch him, want to compete with him, and watch him soar. 

Up until now, Sakusa realized that he had never been under _full_ exposure to the Hinata-effect. Always shielded from his rays at least in part by teammates who could bask in his rays and share the brunt. 

Kiyoomi was a master of side eye. He lived life in the periphery, watching people from a far. It helped him keep his distance and allowed him some sense of boundary. But now, faced with the full force of the sun head on, Sakusa was a little overwhelmed.

Not in a bad way. But in a way where he could no longer hide from the way Hinata made him feel when he looked at him like _that._

There was something about Hinata Shōyō, that in a one-on-one setting, was introvert kryptonite. The 24 year old was _interesting;_ Sakusa could probably sit and listen to him talk for hours, and he would never repeat a story or lose his attention. Even more impressive, was despite his ability to dominate any room or conversation he was in, would never make you feel out of the loop. Sure, sometimes when he got excited he was a _little_ hard to keep track of, but he would always circle back to something that Sakusa would want to talk about. Or he would check in to make sure he was still feeling comfortable, or Hinata would make sure Sakusa was meeting his deadlines (because without volleyball for a few months, Sakusa had thought it wise to go back and start his masters.) Whatever it was, Hinata always strived to _include_ Sakusa.

It felt… nice. The offer was always open and readily reminded of, but carried no expectations. The dynamic between them was refreshing in a way Sakusa hadn’t really felt with many people other than his cousin. But the way Sakusa had grown to realize he felt about Hinata was _very_ different. 

First of all… god he was hot. Sakusa couldn’t say the orange-haired man had always been hot, since his first impression had been that he looked like a child. But by the time both of them were adults and playing on the same team… Yeah, Hinata was hot. Plus, there was just _something_ about fresh-from-Brazil Shōyō that was just so mouth-watering. 

The first time he had arrived at the MSBY facilities some time back in 2018, he was toned, incredibly tanned, fiit, and ready to take the world by storm. He had nearly every guy on the team drooling any time he walked by, or changed into his preferred casual wear: as short of shorts as acceptable, open shirts in every make, pattern and bright color he was so fond of. _—_ and his piercings. Luckily, Kiyoomi had always had a bit more control over urges like that than the volleyball idiots on the team, so he had yet to make a fool of himself. 

Over that first season, Hinata had begun to lose the more Brazilian styling in his wardrobe. Until finally, after the first snow and the introduction of a winter wardrobe, Hinata’s more open and vibrant fashion style went into hibernation, and didn’t come back even after the sakuras had bloomed.

There was nothing wrong with that, in fact, there was no such thing as a not-cute Hinata. Sakusa would even go out on a limb and say that bundled up in sweaters and scarves and jackets (and with permanently rosy cheeks) Hinata was his favorite state of Hinata… but there was something to be said about the insatiably **hot** vibe Hinata acquired whenever he went abroad.

And this time when he had gone back to Brazil… it only got _worse._

Not only did Hinata get tan. Not only was he normally dressed in flowing tank tops and short shorts that covered _very little_ (and he had gotten another hoop in his ear as well). But Hinata had gotten _broad._

At first, Sakusa assumed it was just his upper body; of course, in a powerhouse league in Brazil, of course they would have a different style of training that would change his body in a different way than the lean strength many in Japan exhibited. Sakusa didn’t want to admit that based on how Hinata held his shoulders during their video calls, the other man might be even broader than himself. Which wasn’t fair, Sakusa was naturally broad shouldered — a little dorito shaped perhaps, but Shōyō had gone out and become a whole ass beefy burrito. 

The thought of being wrapped in those powerful arms and surrounded in all the love that was Shōyō haunted Sakusa more than he’d care to admit. 

One day however, he found out that it _wasn’t_ just his upper body. Shōyō apparently _never_ missed leg day either. 

Out of Hinata’s many hobbies and passions, yoga was one that he had stuck with for the longest outside of volleyball. Apparently, he had even taken a few online classes in yoga instruction, to see if that was something he could potentially do. Even if he was just teaching his friends. 

“Kiyoomi-san, you’re super flexible aren’t you? Have you ever done yoga?”

“No, I’ve never done a class or anything, if that’s what you’re asking, but it’s always looked interesting, especially for building strength with flexibility.”

“Well, I could teach you.”

“Oh?” Because _god_ , if seeing Hinata show off his own flexibility and his superior core muscles and balance wasn’t something that Sakusa would pay to see. But no, Hinata was offering that for _free._

That’s how Sakusa found himself in the most precarious position of his quarantine — seeing Hinata in full screen for the first time in at least a year. With _thighs_ that could crush a god. While he was wearing Nike fucking Pros. Doing _yoga._

Sakusa prayed that his propensity for wearing black and that his laptop camera quality was not high enough to show just how much Shōyō was affecting him. He was dressed in a breathable but warm pullover and a pair of thick, fleece-lined black leggings.

Kiyoomi _always_ ran cold; as a 6’4” man, even with his considerable muscle mass, his long limbs and extremities often froze if he wasn’t careful. With a low impact workout such as yoga, Sakusa didn’t expect his clothing choice to be much of an issue, especially in his drafty apartment. 

Only Sakusa found himself _drowning_ in sweat, nearly suffocating on the neckline of his sweatshirt, and **hyper** aware of just how tight his leggings were. All because Hinata Shōyō was leading him in a yoga flow. Whatever that meant.

The yoga itself, Sakusa got a hang of fairly easily. Like Hinata had asked before, he _was_ incredibly flexible; hypermobile even. So the stretch and lengthening of his muscles he felt as they flowed from one position to the next was actually nice. What he couldn’t get a hold of, was _watching_ Shōyō. 

It was in that moment that Sakusa wished it wasn’t normal for them to video chat while not wearing a mask. What he wouldn’t have given for that extra protection from Hinata’s undying focus. Of course, Sakusa had never really cared what ‘normal’ was, but this was Hinata — and he had an uncanny knack for immediately catching onto something being off with him. 

Even when they were still teammates, the shorter man always seemed to know when something was bothering Sakusa, even if nothing about his face, posture or voice changed. It was probably because of his unending supply of empathy that Shōyō seemed to store in the same giant vat he kept his energy. 

Sometimes it was that a fan or reporter had gotten too close, and despite his poker face, Hinata being the angel he was, would immediately dive in and save him from their hounding and their lack of spatial awareness. Other times, it would be the nerves that no one else seemed to notice before a big game, with Hinata offering encouragement that always made him feel like he could hit 3 service aces in a row. Hinata was just special like that. 

But that was exactly what made him so god damned _frustrated_ . Hinata _had_ to know what he was doing. What he **looked** like. 

God, any time Shōyō bent over, in a way that was _quite_ indecent with how thin and tight those shorts were, Sakusa couldn’t breath. There hadn’t been any time Sakusa had wanted to hit hangup on a call with Hinata more than in that moment, if only to escape from under his intoxicating gaze and that left him so off-balance. 

+++

As the months went on, melting one into the other, the one constant in Sakusa’s life was Hinata. 

The two of them texted nearly every day. Video calls happened every Wednesday and Sunday. Sakusa’s dogs _loved_ Hinata. It was hard to keep them from jumping on his lap whenever he was calling Hinata, because they would excitedly bark and dance around just at the sound of Hinata’s sweet voice, which always seemed just as excited to see his puppies. On top of all that, Zoom Yoga had ended up a near weekly occurrence. (Sakusa could _never_ have said no to Hinata, but luckily for his sanity, Hinata usually wore pants now. _Usually.)_

This wasn’t something Sakusa ever thought he would have. Shōyō had always been an energetic spitfire, coming in and out of people’s lives and the spotlight at his every whim. Now Sakusa had no issue with his own self-esteem, and no delusions about his talents. But he knew he wasn’t like Hinata: always hungry and striving for more. Sakusa was more tactical, more practical. More reserved. 

Hinata’s drive was something that Sakusa greatly admired in the tanned man. No matter what challenge he faced, he always stood head strong and ready to take it on like it was nothing. He was always looking to the future, and what was the next mountain for him to climb. The kind of motivation that would quickly leave a pragmatist like Sakusa in the dust.

His drive was the thing that Sakusa had always assumed would keep them far out of each other’s orbit. Sakusa knew he couldn’t hope to keep up with Hinata, but there was just something so _captivating_ about him that just made him want to try. He wanted to stay in his light for as long as Shōyō would let him. 

Falling in love with Shōyō had never been Sakusa’s plan, but then again, when did anything with Hinata Shōyō ever follow a conventional plan? 

+++++++++++

Hinata was healthy, he wasn’t _technically_ unemployed (still on the payroll of both Asas Sao Paolo _and_ the Japanese National Team), and his many hobbies had been keeping him busy (as well as helping Natsu with the horror that was online school). 

So he couldn’t say that Quarantine had been _bad…_ but it had still taken a toll on him.

He _knew_ that during a global pandemic, that things like sports weren’t a priority… but it still _hurt_ when the 2020 Olympics had been cancelled. Hinata had kind of been expecting it… because without a vaccine, and with 193 countries slated to send athletes to Tokyo… only bad things could have happened. So, it had been the right decision. 

Still — to have the dream that he had been working towards since he was watching his friends up on the screen while he was still delivering food by bike, get taken away from him after so many things already had been — it hurt. 

After he had started working with the Japanese National Team after his first season with MSBY, the Olympics had been the only thing on Hinata's mind. Well, that, and leveling up to take on the world. The promise and hope of standing on the biggest and highest-stakes stage in all of volleyball was what had kept Hinata so dedicated to his sport, even when he couldn’t even set foot near a volleyball court. 

His daily runs were twice as long, now that it was really the only time he got to go outside. Hinata preferred running with the cool breeze at night, but he was a creature of light and felt that without enough Vitamin D exposure, he’d probably keel over after a week or two stuck inside. He had even shelled out money for as large a weight rack as he could so he could keep up his build that he worked so hard for during his last stint in Brazil. 

Hinata wasn’t _vain_ by most definitions, but there was just something that made him feel so _good_ after he got big. Even though he hadn’t gotten any taller over the last two years (realistically, he hadn’t expected to), Hinata was so excited for his next physical, when he could see all of his new and improved stats laid out for Team Japan. Then, he could get official proof of his newly earned status as Thicc™.

God, if only it was safe to see and be close to everyone again, Hinata would want nothing more than to challenge the three strongest people he knew to an arm wrestling match: Bokuto Koutarou, Ushijima Wakatoshi and Iwaizumi Hajime. Hopefully, by the time Team Japan began training in earnest again, Hinata would actually have a fighting chance at beating them. 

Aside from weight lifting and running, his weekly yoga sessions with Sakusa were probably what protected his sanity the most. And their casual video calls. And the daily pictures that Sakusa would send him with his dogs (one was a _huge_ golden doodle that despite his size was a lapdog — and the other was a tiny salt-and-pepper toy poodle that literally looked like a teddy bear.)

Sure, Hinata texted and talked with all of his friends — quarantine was one of the best things that had happened to some of his friendships and rivalries from back in high school. But with Sakusa... Hinata found himself immediately wanting to text him the second the video call hung up. 

It wasn’t that way with anyone else. 

Hinata wasn’t dumb, or dense like some people used to think about him. He _knew_ what this feeling was: the fluttering in his stomach any time Sakusa was _also_ in the picture with his dogs, the easy laughs that Sakusa’s deadpan humor shocked out of him, and the dread that came every time that neither of them was willing to hang up. 

Even their yoga… actually, _especially_ their yoga, because Hinata hadn’t meant for it to be _their_ yoga. Originally, Hinata had a stir-crazy-whim to become some sort of Zoom Yogi. Because how fun would it be to get on one giant Zoom call with all his friends, and do yoga with them every week? They didn’t have to be in the same place to keep training and or to stay warm together… But even after doing yoga for _years_ , and after logging countless hours in online classes on the subject… Hinata had never really led a yoga flow for anyone else before.

So of course, he had asked Sakusa. His friend was the person he had the most contact with, especially over video call, and it’s not like Kenma would easily volunteer to be his guinea pig when it came to anything resembling physical activity. Plus, Sakusa was an incredibly flexible athlete, so Hinata was sure he would be a natural. Maybe he’d even like it!

That’s where Hinata went wrong. Of course, he had wanted to impress his friend, maybe even put on a _little_ bit of a show (who could blame him, he was a depraved athlete with pent up energy and hadn’t been out on a date or _with_ someone since he was in Brazil, and even **then** , it had still been months before he went into quarantine)... so he had chosen some of his more _revealing_ athleisure wear that miiiiight have not been exactly the most suitable for yoga. However, what he hadn’t counted on, was being equally distracted by Kiyoomi. 

He was a natural — and _god_ , Sakusa looked good. Hinata had half a mind to buy a new camera for him off Amazon, because that laptop webcam was seriously doing him a disservice, keeping him fuzzed out of focus and in the dark… But what Hinata _could_ see nearly left him drooling. God, those black sweatpants Kiyoomi was wearing looked almost like they were bursting at the seams. Kiyoomi had never been _small_ by any accounts, but during Hinata’s time on MSBY, he had probably been the leanest guy on their team. Now? Even though he didn't have near the bulk that Bokuto boasted, the strength carried in those arms — and that _back_ — was written plainly for all to see.

Hinata wanted to keep that view all to himself. 

That first ‘class’ turned into another one which turned into another one. Each week, the same time as last. Each week, a little longer than last. Hinata was infinitely grateful for his experience with meditating and regulating his breath. Otherwise, his heart rate and _blood flow_ would have been impossible to control as he watched Sakusa follow his lead from pose to pose. 

Sakusa Kiyoomi, stretching in spandex and tight athletic gear, was an image that Shōyō just couldn’t get out of his mind.

Hinata didn’t want to admit it, but he knew he had a crush on Kiyoomi. God, he felt like an inexperienced high schooler all over again, reading into someone else’s feelings just because they were close friends. Being 24 years of age, Hinata had _thought_ he grew out of pining. But it seems like moving back into his childhood bedroom and going into basically isolation had brought out those old habits with a vengeance. _._

Just because Kiyoomi and him talked a _lot,_ or because sometimes he laughed at Hinata’s jokes and smiled a surprising amount of the time they were on video chat, or because _sometimes_ Sakusa texted him pictures (with the primary purpose of showing him one of his dogs _of course_ ) where he _wasn’twearingashirt_ — didn’t mean that Sakusa was actually _interested_ in Hinata that way.

But those thoughts just made it even harder to stop thinking about _how_ _unfairly handsome_ and _surprisingly funny_ Kiyoomi was, or how he impossibly cute he was when talking to his dogs, and he was incredibly dedicated to volleyball but he was also _so smart,_ and he had two _very cute_ moles over his right eye — 

Hinata knew he had it bad. 

But thinking about Sakusa’s moles reminded him of a conversation from a few weeks ago. 

> _"Omi-san, do you have any other moles, or just the two over your eyebrow?”_
> 
> _“Yeah, I have a bunch. They’re kind of everywhere.”_
> 
> _“Really??” Hinata didn’t think of the answer that could have awaited him because his curiosity made him shoot off his mouth first. “What’s the weirdest place you have one??”_
> 
> _In typical Sakusa fashion, he waited for a solid moment, just staring Hinata right in the eyes with no emotion breaking his poker face, before he finally let a smirk curl up just the tip of his lips and he answered._
> 
> _“My butt.”_
> 
> _Hinata could only sputter in response at Sakusa’s deadpan, before the brunet decided to change the subject from the_ moles _on his_ butt. 
> 
> _“So, what day are you coming into Tokyo for registration and everything?”_
> 
> _Hinata responded with an aggravated groan and let his head fall to his desk. “Literally the very last session. I don’t even understand what their definition of “quarantine” is, since I have to go do all this promo stuff in Tokyo a week before we enter the bubble! Honestly, I should probably just get a hotel down there, since there’s no way I’m taking the train and I would have to borrow my mom’s car… “ he trailed off in frustration._
> 
> _He was too caught up in his own conundrum that he hadn’t even seen the conflicted war raging across Sakusa’s face._
> 
> _“You can come stay with me.”_
> 
> _Hinata’s face shot up as he took in Sakusa with wide-eyed shock. Sakusa didn’t say anything for a while as he eyed Hinata with the slightest of suspicion and apprehension._
> 
> _“The second room in my apartment is empty…” With his pacing, Kiyoomi’s confidence he had when he first suggested the idea seemed to be waning the longer he watched Hinata._
> 
> _“Would you really be okay with that… Kiyoomi-san…?” Hinata’s eyes betrayed how unsure he was, even through the screen. Kiyoomi could fill in the blanks in his worry_ — _of course Shōyō would be worried_ — _they were in a pandemic. But…_
> 
> _“I trust you, Shōyō.” and Sakusa did. He sighed, but it wasn’t one of exasperation, but rather a way to try and even out the heavy feelings coursing through his chest. “I know you take your health and your job seriously, and I know how seriously you’ve taken this pandemic. I would much rather have you come stay with me, than to stress out or put yourself at more risk because you didn’t.”_
> 
> _Hinata couldn’t believe that Sakusa would let someone within his own 4 walls during a time like this, much less_ invite _him in. Sakusa could tell how conflicted Shōyō was over the ordeal, even through his speechlessness, so he continued._
> 
> _“Remember, you first called me on day 1 of your second self-imposed quarantine after returning from Brazil. I know you’re not going to do anything stupid while you’re here either, so I don’t mind. I mean, as long as you test negative before you come here, and take all the necessary precautions during the media shoot, of course.”_

Despite the overwhelming feeling that the offer was some sort of fever dream, there wasn’t much Hinata could say to that offer other than yes. Especially not after Kiyoomi had looked so vulnerable and dare he say, _cute,_ as he offered it to Shōyō. 

It had been a reminder that later that day, he would finally get to see Kiyoomi _in person._ Not only that, but he would practically be _living_ with him — 

Hinata quickly shook his head at _that_ because his lonely, quarantine brain was getting ahead of himself. He had _obviously_ not gone outside enough, and had watched too many shitty romcom reruns on TV since there weren’t any live sports or anything to watch, and had _definitely_ spent too much time on the incognito browser on his phone… 

He couldn’t stop his heart or mind from racing as he finished packing the last of his things before heading down stairs. He was finally off to Tokyo. 

+++

Even though the Olympics had been postponed, that didn’t mean that Team Japan was taking their preparations for 2021 any less seriously. By the time October came around, they had begun shooting promotional material again. The trainers had developed new regimens for each player to adjust to what they had available to them at home, and the JVA had begun preparing to get back to training by forming a bubble.

But because they were all going to go into a bubble to resume training at the end of October, and because of social distancing and everything, Team Japan has decided to space out the events over the course of two weeks before they prepared some of the official Olympic facilities for a bubble environment. They were going to be a part of a test bubble to see what the IOC would have to change and improve on if the pandemic isn’t sorted out by the postponed date. 

Hinata was actually excited to go into the bubble, because that meant he got to play volleyball again and he got to be around people again. It still wasn’t going to be anything like normal, especially not with their near-daily Covid tests, but it was more than what he had in what felt like years. 

However, all of the promotional filming and interviews just added a lot more stress. Any other year, the whole team would have been _together_ — doing interviews, full photo shoots, fittings for the Team Japan Olympic Gear… And they still had to do all of that; it would just take a whole lot longer, and feel a whole lot more unnecessary. He had honestly been dreading it since the schedules had been released, but now… the thought of Sakusa waiting for him spurred him on.

After Hinata finally got through everything on their media schedule, he breathed a sigh of relief and donned a fresh mask the second the last pictures were taken. He still had to wait around for another hour or so as they did fittings and explained the protocol and schedule for when they started back up the next week. 

Of course, Hinata paid attention, because all the information was important. But that didn’t mean he could stop thinking about the mere minutes that stood in between him and coming face to face with the most handsome masked man Hinata knew. (And that was a high bar, considering the majority of the Japanese population was regularly wearing masks now. But even after nearly a year of a pandemic, Hinata still couldn’t stop associating masks with Sakusa.) 

As soon as he was dismissed, Hinata practically bolted. Sakusa’s apartment was only about a 30 minute walk from the center of the Olympic facilities (Sakusa had said he bought the place with that intent because the idea of living in the Olympic Village for two weeks even _before_ the pandemic was an absolute nightmare) so Hinata didn’t see a reason to risk public transit. Plus, if he jogged, he would get there faster anyway. 

What he hadn’t expected to see when he arrived in front of Sakusa’s apartment building, was the other man waiting out front for him. 

Sakusa was hunched slightly as he leaned against the stairs, focused intently on his phone. He was dressed in a large coat that helped add to his bulk and his naturally built in “don’t touch me, don’t get anywhere near me” vibe. 

Hinata thought he would have had at _least_ a few moments to himself when he got to his destination where he could have readied himself for the onslaught of beauty that was Sakusa, but **no.** Sakusa Kiyoomi, a man who had practically never left his house since lockdown had gone into effect _—_ who hated crowds and public places and interacting with his neighbors _—_ had waited outside for _him._

As Hinata got closer and could see him more clearly, he was shocked to see Sakusa wearing something that made his heart beat even more rapidly. Instead of his normal uniform of a surgical mask, Sakusa was wearing a tan mask with a small, ditsy dog print scattered all over. 

Hinata remembered that fabric, and he remembered making that mask for Sakusa. He had remembered from his time on MSBY that the other man had liked dogs, but now, so many months later, Shōyō knew just how much he really liked them. 

And apparently, he must like the mask too. 

That thought made Hinata’s heart soar. He had known that Sakusa had gotten his package, and vividly remembered the second round of profuse thanks he had received after the man had opened it. But he hadn’t seen Sakusa _wearing_ any of them. So, seeing him wearing one just as he would one of his standard surgical masks, reminded Hinata that all the sewing sores he had gotten while making them for Kiyoomi had been worth it. 

Honestly, Kiyoomi looked downright adorable in the patterned mask too. Part of him delighted in knowing he would probably see all Kiyoomi in all sorts of patterns over the course of their short-lived roommate arrangement, and of course, later in the bubble… but something in Hinata still wished he could stare at Kiyoomi’s bare, beautiful face instead. 

As Hinata approached, it took only a few more steps until Sakusa looked up from his phone to look directly at him. Both of them stood frozen for a moment, and Hinata felt the breath rush out of his chest as overwhelming feelings began to take its place. Deep crescents began to form in Shōyō’s palm as he dug his nails in a desperate attempt to restrain himself. Hinata wanted nothing more than to run to the other man at full speed, and encase him in a soul-crushing hug. But, he couldn’t just do that with Kiyoomi, even if there _wasn’t_ a pandemic. So, he had to settle for grinning so hard that his cheeks began to hurt, even if the full wattage of his smile would be hidden behind his mask. 

“Kiyoomi-san!!!!!” Hinata hollered, finally giving in to the need to excitedly wave at the man with both arms held high as he approached

At the loud and sudden sound, Sakusa seemed to stiffen slightly, before his posture and face relaxed, where he brought up a hand to wave back at Shōyō. Despite the mask and his dark hair that covered nearly half of the rest of his face, Hinata could see how his features softened the closer he got. Like he was equally relieved and happy to see Hinata as he was to see Sakusa. 

Hinata couldn’t help but feel jittery as he stopped at what felt close enough to 6 feet away from Sakusa. The jitters were a similar feeling to the nerves and excitement he got when he stepped foot on a volleyball court for the first (or last) game of the season. But there was a deep, pulsing undercurrent in his stomach that told Hinata, _no_ , this wasn’t just like volleyball. 

“How did everything go, Shōyō? Your face is all red _—_ “

“Everything at the facility was totally fine Kiyoomi-san, I just ran here is all!” While Hinata _did_ run, he was more than willing to blame his blush that was _probably_ caused by Kiyoomi on that instead. “How are you doing? You really didn’t have to wait for me.” 

“It was no problem Shōyō. I’m better now that you’re here.” Now _that_ made Hinata’s face heat with the power of a thousand suns. “Because I can finally go back inside.”

Oh. Of course that’s what Sakusa meant. It’s not like the other man was looking forward to a week of sharing his space or anything, because why would he? Hinata really needed to stop projecting all of his wants onto the other man if he wanted his heart to survive this week.

He carefully followed the taller man into the building, while still making sure to keep his distance. Luckily, despite the erratic thumping of his heart which he hadn’t thought could get any worse than it had been during their video chats (which Hinata had yet again been proven emphatically wrong), Hinata had always had a talent for talking through his nervousness.

“Can you show me where I can shower when we get inside? As much as I’d like to spend time with you, Kiyoomi-san, I want to make sure I don’t bring any germs or anything inside your apartment.”

Kiyoomi turned over his shoulder towards Shōyō, a glint of dare-he-say excitement? Gratefulness, perhaps? pooling in his dark eyes. 

“Of course, Shōyō. I was actually going to suggest that myself. I’ll heat up some food while you are cleaning up and putting your stuff away.”

When they got to Sakusa’s door, Hinata stopped a little farther away from his friend as he pulled out his travel-sized hand sanitizer, which he squirted generously over his hands, as well as a large canister of aerosol sanitizing spray. Sakusa stopped, halfway through his door, when the sound of the bottle cap must have alerted him to what Hinata was doing. As he took in Hinata spraying down all of his belongings in the hallway, Hinata could swear he saw sparkles forming around Sakusa’s eyes and head. But that visual was probably from inhaling too much of the cleaning product.

+++

The blazing heat of the shower raining over him was just what Hinata needed to get his mind straight. That, and the cursory task of making sure to kill off every single germ he may have picked up from his traipsing around Tokyo with the dual action of heat and soap.

Hinata could do this. He could live and co-exist with Sakusa. Technically, at least over video chat, they had been basically doing that for months. 

But there was something so different, so _intimate_ , about the thought of doing the things that came so easily to them over Zoom in person. Would talking about anything and everything have the same ease as breathing? Would Kiyoomi fall asleep while they were watching a movie; and could Hinata still shamelessly watch him as he slept instead of the rest of the movie or hanging up the call? Would his dogs like him as much in person as they seemed to over the phone? Would _Kiyoomi_ like him as much as _—_

Hinata quickly turned the faucet all the way to cold to try and shock the nerves out of his system. If he yelped from the icy chill that was suddenly taking up all of his thoughts (and blissfully, away from the man who was somewhere under the same roof as him), that was between Hinata and himself. 

As he finally shut off the water and the echoing silence began to seep in from the tiles around him, Hinata sighed. He could handle this _—_ he could handle himself to not gawk at Sakusa, and he definitely could control himself to not do anything to break Sakusa’s trust or take advantage of his generosity. He was an adult. He could handle this. It was just for a week.

When he went to dry off and set up all of his towels and his own toothbrush holder (so he wouldn’t sully any of Sakusa’s things), Hinata probably took twice the amount of time that he needed to accomplish the task. Did he succeed in _not_ thinking about Sakusa, or everything that he probably did in the comfort of his own house that Hinata had never seen him do before? No, no he did not. 

He shook his freshly dried poof of orange hair which had grown out from the close scruffy crop he had gotten before he left Brazil, back to nearly the long and unruly mess it was during his third year of high school. Hinata fought with his clothing which felt far too restricting on his clean skin. He pulled on a casual T-shirt and a pair of nicer jeans; despite the fact he was technically ‘home’, Hinata still had the subconscious need to impress Sakusa, even if the other man had already seen him dressed in his nerdiest anime merch and his most ridiculous pairs of sweatpants over video calls. 

Just before he pushed the door open to finally face what was waiting for him, Hinata remembered to grab the clean mask he had laid out for himself out on the counter. This one had a wild sort of rainbow color pattern with stars and sparkles printed all over. It wasn’t his ‘coolest’ mask, but Hinata still thought it looked cute when paired with his more plain-looking clothing.

He had _thought_ he was ready. But that was until he entered the living room and saw Sakusa. He was sitting tucked into the corner of his couch with a steaming cup of tea in front of him. _Maskless._

If he had any less control over his body, Hinata probably would have choked on his own spit at the sight that he was completely unprepared for. But luckily he hadn’t, because any sort of coughing (caused by illness or otherwise) probably would have earned him a one-way ticket out of Kiyoomi’s apartment. Seriously, was the whole apartment hot and steamy like the bathroom had been? Hinata didn’t know if it was because of that, or his mask, but he couldn’t _breathe._

Seeing Sakusa sitting so casually, with a soft looking blanket draped over his lap, rendered all of Hinata’s hard-fought control useless. It only got worse when Sakusa heard his footsteps, causing him to lift his eyes to look up at where Hinata was helplessly floundering. 

Momentary surprise lit up Kiyoomi’s handsome features before it melted into a small but warm smile. A faint huff filtered into Hinata’s ears, and he was almost tempted to call it a laugh. 

“I appreciate the gesture, Shōyō, but you don’t really have to wear that in here, unless it makes you more comfortable.”

Hinata couldn’t help but flush deeply at the implication that Sakusa wanted him to _take off what he was wearing_ before he realized that the other man had meant his mask. That only made him blush deeper in embarrassment, and made him stubbornly keep it on, if only to hide. 

“I just assumed that you would want me to, since I could be bringing germs into your space… Honestly, I kind of expected you to be wearing one too..”

Sakusa just narrowed his eyes in what Hinata knew was meant to be playful teasing. 

“Have we ever talked when I was home and wearing a mask?” He asked pointedly with a brow raised, before reverting to his far more relaxed posture and expression. “And like I said: I trust you, Shōyō. I wouldn’t have invited you here if I didn’t.”

 _I trust you, Shōyō_.

Even though those weren’t the first time Hinata had heard those words, hearing them loud and clear without the barrier of two screens and cameras in between them left Hinata’s stomach feeling empty and wild. He could only gulp as he felt his hunger roar; Shōyō hoped that at least getting some food in his system would help him think straight (and not put his foot in his mouth).

“So, uh, you said something about food earlier?”

Sakusa nodded, then rose from the couch, practically gliding into the kitchen. Hinata couldn’t help but gawk at the way the sweatpants he was wearing highlighted the muscles in his thighs and just how small his waist was in comparison (he definitely _wasn’t_ staring at his butt) so much better than Hinata had been able to see over Zoom. When Sakusa took a path that brought him far closer into Hinata’s space than he was expecting, it took all of his will power to not let out a pitiful _eep_ when he brushed past Hinata’s arm. 

Hinata followed him into the kitchen, where he saw all the standard trappings of a Japanese kitchen. Sakusa immediately turned to the steaming rice maker, and grabbed two bowls from his cabinet. There was also a pot of something still simmering on the stovetop, and Hianta didn’t care what it was because it smelled so good, he momentarily forgot about all his woes. 

He took a seat at a tall countertop with a few barstools set up as a makeshift eating area. It made sense, for someone who lived alone to make the most of their space rather than cramming in another table; although for Hinata, it just made this whole predicament harder. Now, rather than sitting across from Sakusa, or finding his own seating somewhere else in the apartment, he would more than likely be sitting right _next_ to him. 

Even if Hinata’s senses would be bombarded from all sides by Kiyoomi, at least Hinata wouldn’t have to look directly at him while they ate…

Without wasting another minute, the sound of a ceramic bowl rang against the marble countertop. Hinata looked up with a grateful smile to Sakusa, who slid onto the barstool next to him. 

A duet of “Itadakimasu” filled the air before Hinata finally took off his mask, and set it down and to the side opposite of where Sakusa was sitting. 

It was stir fry of some sort; something with pork, some greens and a lot of sesame, and it was good. So good, that Hinata couldn’t help but prioritize eating opposed to making conversation with his friend. But no matter how good the food was, or how hungry he was, Hinata couldn’t ignore each of the subtle (but not really all that subtle) glances Kiyoomi was giving him out of the corner of his eye. 

Each glance sent a shiver down Hinata’s spine. He _desperately_ wanted Sakusa to be watching him, _wanting_ him… but he knew it was probably just disgust that he was too polite to voice over his eating habits. 

As soon as Hinata finished, his newly restored energy reserves threatening to burst, he shot up from where he was seated, insisting that he helped clean up. 

Sakusa looked mildly amused, even as he daintily picked up another bite with his chopsticks. He looked ready to say how that was unnecessary, but swallowed that down with his food, before gently explaining where everything he needed was, or where what he would need to put away would go. 

Shōyō lit up with a blinding smile, immediately turning to work. He felt excited knowing he could help and be a little less of a burden, with the added bonus of being able to work off some of his energy. Because doing dishes was the furthest thing from thinking about Sakusa’s tongue that kept catching his eye as they ate. Or the thought of how he was supposed to _sleep_ under the same roof as Kiyoomi later that night.

When Sakusa finally finished his meal, he joined Hinata in the kitchen to drop off his dishes.

“I’m going to head into the living room, feel free to join me when you’re done, if you’re not too tired. We can watch a movie or something.” His emotions seemed fairly steady as Sakusa went to leave the room, before he turned back around with a determined look on his face, obviously having thought of a good idea.

“I have some of the games from 19/20 recorded, from before the season was cancelled. You had said you couldn’t watch most of them while you were in Brazil because of geoblocking, right?”

At the prospect of volleyball, Hinata beamed back at him, turning away from his current task. But as Hinata busied himself with finishing everything in a satisfactory state of cleanliness, he couldn’t help the warmth that bubbled in him knowing that Sakusa had _remembered_ and he had been thinking about him.

Hinata had promised himself not to get his hopes up, but he was practically twitching with the need to go join Sakusa on the couch. 

But instead of the click of a TV, Hinata heard the creak of a door, quickly followed by a chorus of barks. In hardly any time at all, little Toro found his way into the kitchen, and began to run up to and circle around Hinata’s feet, letting out little happy yelps as he rubbed himself all over Hinata’s legs. 

As soon as he had finished rinsing out the last pan, Hinata immediately knelt down and started cooing at the wriggling little puppy. It wasn’t long before the louder and lower sounds of Lychee’s woofs could be heard from the kitchen entryway. Lychee was a bit better trained than Toro, because until Shōyō beckoned her over with a “Come here, sweet girl!”, she just wriggled and whimpered, waiting for permission to come into the room and jump around. 

Hinata felt his batteries immediately recharge to full after some puppy therapy. He didn’t know exactly how long he had stayed in the kitchen with Sakusa’s dogs, but he was stupidly giddy knowing that he would have near unlimited exposure to them for the week. 

By the time Hinata made it back to the living room, Toro happily snuggling up in his arms, Sakusa had made himself comfortable on the couch. He had taken up a spot in the corner of the black leather sectional, burrowed with his legs curled under and to the side. When he heard Hinata enter, his face lit up with the most endearing sense of wonder as he caught the adorable sight of the orange haired man holding and being licked by his dog. 

After a few moments of staring (which Hinata reveled in), Hinata gently lowered Toro to the ground before heading towards the recliner on the opposite side of the room. 

Until he heard Kiyoomi clear his throat. Hinata immediately spun around to see Sakusa’s eyebrows furrow, which really just made it look like he was pouting, before insistently patting the spot next to him on the couch.

Hinata nearly combusted at the unspoken request to _join him,_ before any fear and doubt turned into a fit of laughter as Lychee jumped up and onto the couch in his place. She spread her long limbs over more than half of the couch and Kiyoomi’s lap, but to her credit, she did come exactly when her owner called. 

After laughing at the positively adorable scene before him, Hinata finally broke down. He ended up joining Kiyoomi on the couch, but sat as far on the other side of the couch as he possibly could. 

Hinata _didn’t_ pick the spot because it was physically as far away from Kiyoomi as he could be — it was only because of how little space there was left thanks to Lychee. 

But, that didn’t stop the flood of cringe-worthy memories from the first time Hinata and Tsukishima ended up watching a movie together after one of their study sessions. _God_ , that night had been excruciating for the both of them, because they had both been too stubborn and dense to realize the other was just as gay and awkward as the other. Even though it ended up working out for the best later down the road, after Yamaguchi had confessed at the end of their second year, Hinata could only pray that tonight ended up differently.

Sakusa’s soft laughter was nice background music for Hinata’s internal panic as the curly haired man ran a calm and steady hand over Lychee’s flanks and back, more than happy to provide the pets she so desperately wanted. 

There it was: there was something so _clear_ about Sakusa’s laugh, that made Hinata’s heart feel like it was about to flutter out of his chest and make a run for it. He had heard variations of it over the years; a sudden snarky snort after getting a burn in on Atsumu or Bokuto, a self-satisfied chuckle after getting a service ace, the light and jingling that could almost be called a giggle after Hinata tried yet another dumb joke… But hearing something so _warm_ and inviting about a relaxed, happy Sakusa just made Hinata love the man more.

Curse his stupid pining and overworked emotions for not helping him in the slightest in his internal debate over whether or not to make a move. If he was back in a bar in Brazil, Hinata would have absolutely _no_ qualms about shooting his shot. So why was it so different here with Sakusa?

As the familiar sounds of a volleyball game moved to the forefront of Hinata’s consciousness, he felt his heart begin to calm down. After a little more than a set, Lychee had apparently grown tired of the constant love and pets she was receiving from both Sakusa and Hinata, and jumped off the couch with little fanfare. 

In her wake, she left a gaping chasm of empty couch that neither man seemed ready to breach. 

As the night grew longer, the Green Rockets and Red Falcons found themselves in the fifth set _—_ and Sakusa and Hinata found themselves no longer a foot away from each other. Now, there were but a few measly inches separating them.

Just like during their dinner, Hinata couldn’t help but feel a chill up his spine with each side-eyed glance from Sakusa. Hinata could hardly breathe, and he would barely even say he was paying attention to the match anymore. How could he, when he could literally feel Sakusa’s warm, blanketed heat so close to him.

His muscles were stiff with the fear that any slight movement would snap the tension, and send them back to square one. Finally, when the tightness in his shoulders became too much to bear, Hinata gave into the urge to stretch. It felt good, lifting his arms up high above his head, feeling different points along his back and joints pop. So good, that Hinata forgot himself and where exactly he was, as he brought his limbs back to slump into the couch again. 

Only this time, instead of the cool feeling of leather beneath his hand, he felt the subtle warmth of smooth skin. Hinata nearly jumped at the contact as he turned to face where his hand was now trembling as it hovered over where Kiyoomi’s was resting against the cushion. His face felt like it was _burning_ , and despite his heart racing a 100 miles a minute, his brain was providing absolutely no help, stuck in a spiral of _‘I just touched Kiyoomi’s hand oh my god’._

“I-I’m sorry Kiyoomi-san, I wasn’t paying attention and _—_ ” Hinata burst out in a babble of apologies, desperate to rectify the situation.

Sakusa didn’t speak for a while, his dark eyes surveying Hinata’s frazzled form, until a slight furrow formed in his brow. But unlike the anger or disgust or annoyance that Hinata had expected, his expression was soft enough to almost look… disappointed. Even more surprising, was the lack of flurried movement to put a safe distance back between the two of them. In fact, Kiyoomi seemed to slide even further into the couch, relaxing the stiff placement of his arm and body so slightly that he may have even moved _closer_ to Hinata.

“Why are you sorry, Shōyō?” His voice was even and steady. Measured, almost. As if he was afraid to put the inflection and emotion he was actually feeling behind it. But with every word spoken, Sakusa’s gaze just seemed to burrow itself deeper into Hinata’s soul.

Hinata just blinked dumbly, not having expected that at all.

“I _—_ uh…” Without his permission, his eyes flicked down to where his own hand was still hovering lamely a few inches away from Kiyoomi’s own, then back up to the other man’s face. His traitorous gaze slid lower to take in his well moisturized, incredibly enticing, slightly-parted lips. He quickly swallowed, despite his parched throat, and looked back up to stop himself from acting on any stupid ideas. Now that he was this close, even in the dim light of the evening, Hinata could swear there was a soft pink decorating the high points of Sakusa’s cheeks. 

_Ba-dum._

Before he could stop himself with second guessing and doubt, Hinata slowly lowered his hand back down to meet Sakusa’s own again. Immediately, he regretted it as he felt the cold sweat of his own palms. But before he could back away, the softest of hitched breaths echoed through his ears like a shot. Despite the numerous crossed boundaries and the tension between them that probably couldn’t even be cut through with a knife, Shōyō didn’t break eye contact once. And neither did Kiyoomi. 

Feeling bold, Hinata took in a deep breath and gave Sakusa’s hand the lightest of squeezes before answering the impossible question from before. 

“I didn’t want to make you feel uncomfortable…” Hinata knew his eyes were wide, but he felt so vulnerable, like they were on the precipice of _something_ . His vision shifted rapidly between their point of contact and Sakusa’s face, fearful that he’d miss a signal from the other man. But the other man held firm, not shifting away or flinching. So Hinata held his ground _—_ and his hand too. 

“Do I look uncomfortable to you…?” Kiyoomi held Shōyō’s amber gaze firm, not letting any misinterpretation of his feelings pass. Then, he slowly and deliberately trailed his focus down to stare at Hinata’s mouth, causing the other to sharply take in a breath. When Kiyoomi seemed satisfied with the reaction he elicited from Shōyō, he found those same deep pools and sustained his gaze with the smallest of shrugs to punctuate his point. 

Holy shit, Hinata felt so giddily _stupid,_ but Sakusa also made him want to be _brave._

Well, brave was a bit of an overstatement, as Hinata inched forward, only to stop the second he felt their legs touch. His other hand had been reaching out towards Kiyoomi _—_ to touch him, to caress his face, Hinata didn’t really know _what_ he had planned on doing _—_ but instead, he chickened out and began to lower it back towards himself, in favor of grasping Kiyoomi’s other hand tighter and bringing it closer. 

Only, Hinata wasn’t the brave one. 

Over the course of 5 seconds, about 20 different emotions shot across Kiyoomi’s face, as Hinata watched him come to a decision in real time. Sakusa finally lost his patience, shooting his free hand forward to capture Hinata’s retreating arm before it was out of reach. He used his newly found leverage to pull Hinata in towards him; the momentum caused Hinata to topple forward ungracefully on top of Sakusa. With a firm grasp on Hinata’s bare forearm, the two of them chest to chest and their faces not but a hair's breadth apart, Kiyoomi finally spoke.

“What are you waiting for, Shōyō? You’re already here, aren’t you? I’m here, and I’m not going anywhere. So what are you waiting for?”

Those words were what finally made Hinata snap. He surged forward, carrying little for his precarious position on Kiyoomi’s lap; he broke away from the grasp on his arm, and instead decided to do what he was too cowardly to do before. The feeling of his bare palm against the scintillatingly smooth skin of Sakusa’s face sent shivers wracking through his body and his breath stuttered. But there was no more second guessing as Hinata finally leaned forward to close the gap between their lips. 

It was the softest of movements that slotted their mouths together, but that didn’t mean there was any less passion flowing between them. With just a few moments of sweet warmth, Shōyō felt like he was going to burst from all the emotion coursing through him that was threatening to overflow. Only a minute or so passed before Hinata had to pull away to breathe, but he couldn’t help himself but to stay in that intimate zone of close-enough-to-still-feel Kiyoomi’s breath against his lips. It was then that Hinata realized Sakusa was breathing just as raggedly as he was.

He slowly lifted his gaze to take in Sakusa’s furiously flushed face; his dark eyes took on an even more alluring haze as breathlessness and lust left them only half open. Then, Hinata noticed he was still forcibly gripping Sakusa’s right hand. However, instead of letting go, Hinata only felt further emboldened as he used his leverage to guide the much larger hand to where he wanted it: at the small of his back. 

Just feeling Sakusa’s broad hand take up so much space against his own smaller waist made Hinata feel light headed. Without missing a beat, Kiyoomi instantly spread his hand wider to fully grasp Hinata and pull him in even closer. It was only a single centimeter of contact, but the sliver of skin revealed by a hiked up shirt went up in flame with the feeling of Kiyoomi’s calloused fingers flush against his bare flesh. 

Hinata couldn’t help but sneak a glance back up at Sakusa’s face. Seeing the harsh contrast between his own, still relatively tanned hand, and Kiyoomi’s near-porcelain completion sent a chorus of _yes_ screaming through his brain. But it was the soft, blissed-out smirk that caused an insatiable grin to burst across Hinata’s face, and he couldn’t stop himself from diving back in to devour Kiyoomi’s lips. This time, no longer able to hold back the months and months of longing and pining and loneliness that had built up. 

When Kiyoomi met his enthusiasm with equally pent up passion in the form of a surprisingly messy kiss, Hinata felt right then and there that he could die a happy man. Sakusa wasted no time sliding his free hand into Hinata’s messy curls, pulling him in closer as he bucked and ground his hips up into where Hinata was seated above him. The action involuntarily pulled an embarrassing moan out of Hinata, which despite being drowned in the oasis of Kiyoomi’s mouth, still sounded an awful lot like “ _Kiyoomi”._

There was seemingly no end to how _electric_ every bit of friction between the two of them felt as they explored each other’s bodies, despite the frustrating layers of clothes between them. As both of their pants became uncomfortably tight and the air between them filled with the steam of breathless lust, it felt like nothing could interrupt the charged feeling of _finally_. 

At least until Hinata had finally had enough of the constriction of clothes. He leaned back just enough to peel off his T-shirt, immediately throwing it across the room without any fanfare. Without wasting any time, he pushed his greedy hands underneath Sakusa’s black shirt to feel the vast expanse of his _firm_ , smooth stomach. 

Hinata had _planned_ on slowly stripping Sakusa, showering his body in all the attention and love he deserved (and that Hinata had been _dreaming about_ ); and he had intended on neatly folding the other man’s clothing where he had not cared enough to do so for his own. 

Only, the sudden sting of excited dog nails and a heavy lunge straight into his bare back shocked a _yelp_ out of Hinata, causing him to lose his balance a little. Luckily, Sakusa reached forward to steady him, but the strict dog dad immediately sat up, and began to reprimand Lychee for jumping on top of Shōyō (and definitely not because she had interrupted the two of them just as it was getting good.) Apparently, she had seen Hinata throw his shirt, and figured that meant it was play time.

Based on the sad whimpering from the overgrown lap dog, now laying on the floor in front of the couch in a mock sieza, Sakusa had left her no room for misinterpreting what she had done wrong. Something about that image and Sakusa’s tone of voice as he lectured her stirred a strange feeling within Shōyō’s stomach. 

But even as Sakusa finally turned his attention back to where Shōyō was sitting, crumpled against the couch, they both knew the moment had been ruined. Shōyō couldn’t help but giggle as the silence hung between them, and after a moment, Kiyoomi let himself join in, even as he buried his face in his hands to murmur an embarrassed apology about how poorly trained his dogs were. 

Still, Hinata didn’t mind an interruption here and there. They had all the time in the world together, and a _lot_ to make up for the time they had lost. 

Rising from the couch on slightly jellied legs, Hinata outstretched a hand towards Kiyoomi while shining him the warmest, most love-filled smile he could. When Kiyoomi clasped his hand, Hinata pulled him up and towards him with all the force of the incredibly beefy professional athlete he was. Still, he was somehow unprepared for the sudden reminder of their difference in height, after having been above Sakusa or equal to him in height for their entire session of heavy petting. Now, he was practically eye level with Sakusa’s broad shoulders. 

_That_ sent a heated throb coursing through Hinata’s body all the way to his most sensitive parts, and luckily that reminded him of his goal in the first place. He pulled the taller man towards the hallway, only once looking over his shoulder to smirk at Kiyoomi and let the full force of his salacious hunger speak for him. 

“Shall we?” Hinata keened as he backed himself into the wall that separated the doorways between Sakusa’s and the guest room. As he pulled Sakusa in closer, and the other man towered over him, Hinata could feel the full force of his hardened excitement digging into his core. Honestly, he was shocked he could even think straight enough to not drop down to his knees right there. 

Luckily, Sakusa didn’t need to be asked twice. He quickly threw open a linen closet which was built into the wall, grabbed a few towels, and proceeded to drag Hinata into his own large room. This time, making absolutely sure to close and lock the door behind them; because while they may have all the time in the world, neither Hinata or Sakusa had the patience left for any more interruptions. 

**Author's Note:**

> Huge thanks to my beta Micah ([kkitsunii](https://archiveofourown.org/users/kkitsunii/pseuds/kkitsunii)) for commiserating with me while I struggled hardcore to finally finish this.
> 
> Would y'all believe me if I said this was originally supposed to be a twitfic...? Well, I can't promise many of those since, BUT if you'd like to gush with me about MSBY and all things Haikyuu!!, come join me on [twitter](https://twitter.com/ElectraOnigiri)!
> 
> While I never thought I would ever write any sort of pandemic fic, I hope that something light hearted and soft like this could help you forget, even if just for a few moments.
> 
> Thanks so much for reading OmiHina nation <3 and I would love to hear your thoughts!


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